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DA Travel what to bring
Ok I am a planner and I feel like I have 1 month to get eveything ready then the we willbe 4 weeks from due date and the baby can come at any time after that so I want to be prepared to travel or at least have a plan of attack. What all did you bring with you what did you buy there. Any advice at all I think a long time ago when I did not need it someone posted a list does anyone have it.
Thanks for any advice
Proud Momma of our daughter Charlie!
She found her forever home August 2010
Hope to be the proud momma of #2 in July
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Re: DA Travel what to bring
Our agency gave us this list:
Before you leave: Plan for mail and newspaper delivery and other scheduled activites; plan for pet care
Baby care items: Infant car seat, infant diapers (6 per day for 10 nights plus extras), baby wipes, infant formula, infant bottles with sterilization kit (not all hotels have microwaves so an electric steamer is best), week of onesies (short and long sleeved for unknown weather), receiving and swaddling blankets, pacifier, baby thermometer, pack-n-play with portable bed/bassinet, stroller with infant seat, diaper bag
Financial items: money for 7-10 nights of hotel stay, food, gas, supplies, 2-3 rolls of quarters for tolls, laundromats, vending machines, check book, phone numbers for bank accounts if transfer of money is to occur, cash
For you: clothes for 7-10 days plus hygienic supplies, book, "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff, cell phone and chargers, laptop with wi-fi capability, phone number list for family and friends for help and support, camera with plenty of memory, small tool kit (to do simple things like get to battery compartments, open seals of safety packages, assemble various items, etc.)
- carseat and base
- insert/snuggler - so baby doesn't flop around in carseat
- receiving blankets and maybe one thicker/heavier blanket
- burp clothes (we used cloth diapers)
- Pampers swaddlers (they have a yellow stripe that turns blue when wet -- we went through about 12/day -- our baby hating being wet! You don't need to bring any with you, the hospital will send you home with some, and then you can buy some extras.)
- Baby wipes - again, hospital will send you home with some and you can buy extras after you're at your destination, wipes are heavy in luggage
- Formula - wait to buy this until you see what the hospital puts baby on. We had tons of Similac stockpiled (gifted from friends) and then hospital put Payton on Enfamil and our pedi didn't want us to switch her for no reason other than our own convenience. They'll give you some extras, and then you can purchase the premixed stuff in individual bottles or whatever form you want. We washed plenty of bottles in hotel sinks and had no issues. We just bought a small bottle of dishsoap when we got to our destination. Purchase a bottlescrubber and take it with you -- this is my favorite (the soap dispenser doesn't work, but the brush itself is awesome): https://www.amazon.com/Sassy-Scratch-Bottle-Brush-Colors/dp/B001KYUEWE
- Bottles - bring one or two of several different types. The fewer parts the better, unless baby NEEDS a Playtex or Dr. Browns. You'll want to try different kinds to see what s/he will like, but something similar to the bottles they use in the hospital would be best (and probably cheapest) -- the cheapy Gerber and Evenflo bottles are pretty close. I think the nipples for our Enfamil nursers were Gerber. You'll also want to bring a selection of pacifiers if you plan to use them. Most hospitals either use a Soothie or Gerber NUK. Ours used a NUK, and Payton would only take a Soothie for a few months and then suddenly she only wanted a NUK. I would buy a package of several different kinds (look for one that is orthodontic) and let baby try them out to see what s/he will take. We didn't sterilize on an ongoing basis other than first use out of the package and you can do that at home before you leave (save all of your packages in case you need to return).
- Onesies, sleep 'n plays, socks, mittens, and hats -- we went through several outfit changes a day (either she would make a mess eating, tinkle on her outfit during a diaper change, or spitup)
- swaddling blanket and t-shirts -- these are what she slept in early on -- the t-shirt is great for frequent changes in the middle of the night when you're exhausted, because you don't have to re-snap a onesie, just change the diaper and never even mess with the t-shirt
- rectal thermometer (the Vick's one that is round is awesome), Mylicon or gripe water, alcohol, large baby cotton swabs (use for ears and dip in alcohol and let it drip onto umbilical stump and then swab around stump for stump care), Vaseline (if you need to use rectal thermometer and also good for moisture barrier for baby bottoms and if you have a boy a squeeze tube is a must for circ care -- you'll also need 2" gauze pads for circ care), Desitin, nail clippers/scissors, nose syringe/bulb, saline nose drops (non-medicated)
- pack 'n play, mattress pad and two sheets - I like the ABC Company mini crib mattress pad and jersey sheets (American Baby Company) -- you can get them on Amazon and they fit Graco PnP's
- snap 'n go stroller to go with carseat and also recommend a baby wrap or carrier -- I wanted to wear Payton so badly but she hated it, but it's definitely worth trying, again just save your packaging and receipt
- diaper bag, disposal bags for dirty diapers (they come in scents and you can either buy a box or a little dispenser that goes in your diaper bag -- we use the box b/c we go through so many -- will also help keep your hotel room from being stinky since those trash cans don't have lids on them), hand sanitizer, small notebook and pad to track baby's diapers/sleep/bottles or if you have an iPhone download the "Baby Brain" app
- copy of all of your homestudy documents, birth certificates, marriage license, all of your adoption docs to date, and any ID's or other docs you might night
- if you have a hotel suite, you might want to bring your baby monitor -- we have an angelcare monitor and brought that regardless, just for the movement alarm (but you'll also need to make sure you have a board or something under the PnP mattress that will make the monitor work
- don't forget your chargers, camera, and any usb cables you might need!
We decided to pack light and we're glad we did. We did not bring a pack n play or a stroller. We've been at three hotels so far (long story!) and all three hotels have had cribs or pack n plays. The pediatrician even told us that it's fine for him to sleep in the car seat. We brought the car seat and base, but not the stroller part of the travel system. The times we have walked around we put him in the Moby or just carried him (no big deal unless you have a really big newborn!) When we go out to eat we just carry him in the carrier/carseat. We've gone on walks, gone shopping, out to eat, to the doctor, and even to a movie and I've never wished we had a stroller.
Like MrsB said, don't buy formula ahead of time. You want to use whatever the hospital puts her on and whatever she tolerates best at the hospital. Also, our hospital gave us a TON of stuff when he was discharged. They gave us enough diapers and premixed formula in individual bottles to last an entire week. When we went to his first pediatrician appointment out here at one week of age, the pediatricians office gave us 2 cans of powdered formula and two more boxes of the premixed bottles. So we won't even have to buy formula, and we just had to buy diapers and he's 9 days old. We still haven't run out of the wipes given to us by the hospital. They also gave us a booger sucker (not sure what they are really called) and a few other things.
I packed about 20 onesies. Most are short sleeve and without legs, but I did pack about three with long legs and arms. This has worked out fine. The hotel room is cool as are restaurants, but we swaddle him or tuck a blanket over him in his carrier.
We also brought:
4 receiving blankets (I wish we brought about 6)
About 4 burp cloths (we could have used a few more)
4 pairs of socks (we've only put socks on him twice)
2 hats
2 pacifiers (the hospital also gave us 2, for a total of 4)
10 bottles. We have started using the powdered formula to save what is left of the premixed bottles to use on the plane trip home. They are all NUK brand as a friend gave me her bottles she used for her baby. If our baby didn't like these we would have just run to Walmart.
Bottle brush (buy dish soap when you get there)
Sterilization bags to sterilize bottles and pacis in the microwave. You can find these in the breastfeeding section at BRU. I'm sure that handwashing bottles between uses is fine, but for some reason I personally feel like handwashing doesn't do as good of a job as a dishwashing machine. So we use these bags to sterilize the bottles after each use, and it really is very quick and easy. You wash the bottles and nipples, rinse, throw them in this bag with 2 oz of water, and then microwave. We were told that our first hotel had a microwave we could use in the room, but then upon check in were told that this isn't true. So we just went and spent like $40 on a microwave at Target and we will give it to the adoption agency before we leave so other couples can use it.
We brought a temporal thermometer, but a rectal thermometer really is more acurate.
Baby nail clippers
Don't forget the camera!
You don't need a bottle warmer even if you use powdered formula. We use room temperature bottled water and just mix the formula right before baby eats. If you are out and about, you can go ahead and fill a bottle or two with water and then premeasure formula powder into sip lock bags. Then you just dump the powder into the bottle, shake it, and you are good to go. Or just use the premixed stuff the hospital gives you.
1 set of pack n play sheets, but we haven't used them and have been fine with each hotel's crib sheets.
Diaper bag. Finding one that DH and I both agreed we would carry was a huge challenge
You will have PLENTY of time on your hands, so don't worry about forgetting something and don't over pack. Anything you need can easily be picked up at Walmart or Babies R Us. As long as you bring a method of payment you will be totally fine
My advice is to pack as light as you can. Just remember you have to bring everything back with you plus manage the baby.
We just did this a month ago.
We bought the car seat online and had it shipped to the adoption agency and then just picked it up there. We bought a travel bag for the car seat and I'm glad we did b/c it was gate checked and it definitely would have gotten dirty. I saw several people though in the airport with their seats in a big garbage bag.
We didn't need a stroller. You're really not going to go out much with a new born and if you do, you can carry her unless you plan to go on some long walks. We bought a travel bassinett which we really liked and have continued to use as home. In the hotel, we just placed it inside their pack n play. We had a small suite at a Residence Inn and in myopinion you would not need a monitor in that small of a space.
We did have a sink so we took a couple of bottles and we would wash them out with a bottle brush and then sterilize the parts in a Medela sterlizing bag in the microwave - it worked great. You might only want a couple until you figrue out which one your baby likes. Our baby takes in a lot of air when feeding so the best kind we found were the Playtex Vent Air.
You can buy diapers when you get there, the hospital will send you home with some to get you started. Our hospital also sent us home with about 6 of the pre-made bottles and then we went to get powdered formula which we mixed with room temperature nursery water. In myopinion, you don't need a bottle warmer.
If you stayin a suite type place, theyhave a laundry facility so don't feel like you have to bring every outfit you have for the baby. 3-4 sleepers and maye 2-3 other outfits would be fine. Bring some socks for the baby and some kind of burp rags.
The biggest thing I kept reminding myself is--they have stores where I'm going so if I need something, I can get it there.
Good luck!